Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 49258 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49258 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 246(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
After disconnecting, Giana focused back on the computer screen. She continued to fill out the state reports that tortured her every month as the worst part of her job and completely ignored the clueless firefighter who had just become someone else’s problem. The creak of his chair a few minutes later clued her in that he was still in her office.
Giana glanced at her wrist and then met his gaze. “Leave, Tom.”
“You’re making a big mistake.”
“Take advantage of this fresh start. Station four is your last chance,” she told him bluntly.
“You fuck…” Tom bit off his words. Smashing his hands down on the armrests of the chair, he rocketed toward her.
Giana didn’t flinch or move away. She said one word, “Camera.” That stopped him in his tracks.
“You’re recording me?”
“Yes. I don’t do the ‘he said, she said’ thing.” Giana looked past Tom to the older firefighter hovering outside her office. Mark had stopped immediately, shocked by Tom’s aggressive lean over her desk.
“Mark, Tom is going to station four. Could you help him collect his belongings? He will not be returning here,” Giana told him in a crisp, authoritarian tone.
“You got it, Captain,” Mark answered.
Tom whirled and swore under his breath to see that they had an audience. Turning back at Giana, he growled, “This is bullshit.”
“Watch where you step on the way out,” she told him evenly.
“Come on, Tom. You’re not accomplishing anything here,” Mark said.
Shaking with anger, Tom allowed himself to be ushered out of her space. As soon as he was out of sight, Giana accessed the camera feed she’d installed in her office. She copied it into Tom’s station file and saved it.
A few minutes later, Mark appeared at her door. “He’s gone. Are you okay?”
“Perfect. I appreciate your backup, Mark. Was there a reason you’d come to talk to me?”
“Can I get a personal day scheduled? The doctors have scheduled my daughter to have her C-section next month.”
“Of course. Congratulations. Send me the date. I’ll make sure the duty roster gives you a couple of days off to enjoy your next grandson,” Giana assured him.
“Thanks, Captain. And I’m sorry.”
“For taking time off with your family?” she asked.
“For the total ass. The entire station will be glad he’s gone. Tom is toxic.”
“You hadn’t said anything,” Giana said.
“I figured he’d hang himself soon.”
“That he did. Clue me in next time if someone is disrupting the peace around here if I don’t pick up on it,” Giana requested.
“Will do, Captain. Be careful. He’s angry.”
“Always. Thank you, Mark.” Giana turned back to her paperwork. She wouldn’t give Tom another moment of her time. She had a drink of her now-cold coffee and grimaced. Too bad she didn’t have time to make a coffee run.
Giana pulled the jacket closer around her neck. How cold had someone cranked the air conditioner up? This was ridiculous.
She reviewed the document on her screen one more time before copying it to her supervisor and pressing submit. Using the last of her energy, she pushed herself up from her chair and headed for the kitchen to return her coffee cup.
As she walked in, the firefighters on that shift greeted her eagerly. One female clapped, and the others joined in. Giana froze. Her worn-out brain took a second to realize they were celebrating Tom’s transfer. Unable to discuss personnel issues with other employees, she changed the subject.
“Did I actually tear out all my hair over this month’s reports?” she croaked.
Several smoothed over the right side of their hair, signaling to her that she’d definitely rucked up her normally restrained bun. Giana didn’t even care. “I’m off for a couple days. Stay safe, everyone.”
“Thanks, Captain,” came from all sides.
The woman who’d started the clapping suggested, “Go to the doctor, Captain. You sound awful.”
“Thanks, Liz. I’ll definitely consider that.” Giana nodded her thanks and headed for the door.
The trip to her truck exhausted the last of her energy. Giana dragged herself into the driver’s seat and pulled her seatbelt around her. She dropped her forehead onto the steering wheel. The blare of her phone made her wince. Surely this wasn’t an emergency. She hadn’t even gotten out of the parking lot.
Daddy appeared on her screen as the caller. Giana fumbled with the phone. “Hi, Daddy. I’m on my way home.”
“What’s up with your voice?” he asked.
“I’m sure it’s from the smoke yesterday.”
“Does your throat hurt?”
“Yeah. I feel like a truck hit me. Maybe I’m coming down with something. I’ve been so cold today. I think the air conditioning at the station must be broken.”
“You’re not running a fever, are you?”
She could hear the concern in his voice. The memory of him taking her temperature the little girl way made Giana shiver. “I need some sleep, and I’ll be better.”
“Drive home safely, little girl.”
Giana could tell from his voice that the conversation wasn’t over. He was worried about her. And Koa worried meant he was in full Daddy mode. She smiled to herself and thought, “Not like he’s ever out of Daddy mode.”